To Rouse Leviathan

Since the early years of the twenty-first century, Matt Cardin has distinguished himself by writing weird fiction with a distinctively cosmic and spiritual focus, publishing two short story collections that have now become rare collector’s items. In this substantial volume, Cardin gathers the totality of his short fiction, including the complete fiction contents of Divinations of the Deep (2002) and Dark Awakenings (2010). Several of the tales have been substantially revised from their original appearances.Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft, Thomas Ligotti, and other masters of cosmic horror, Cardin’s fiction explores the shadowy side of religious and spiritual experience. His tales draw upon the author’s thorough knowledge of Judeo-Christian and other religious traditions to expose the existential terror we all feel in living in a cosmos that may be actively hostile to our species. In tales long and short (including a new novella co-written with Mark McLaughlin), Cardin rings a succession of changes on those fateful words from the Book of Job: “Let those sorcerers who place a curse on days curse that day, those who are skilled to rouse Leviathan.”Cover artwork: "The Taming of the Leviathan" by Michael Hutter.Contents:-----------Part One: Divinations of the Deep- Preface: Divining the Darkness- An Abhorrence to All Flesh- Notes of a Mad Copyist- The Basement Theater- If It Had Eyes- Judas of the InfinitePart Two: Dark Awakenings- Teeth- The Stars Shine without Me- Desert Places- Blackbrain Dwarf- Nightmares, Imported and Domestic (with Mark McLaughlin)- The Devil and One Lump- The God of FoulnessPart Three: Apocryphon- Chimeras & Grotesqueries- Prometheus Possessed- The New Pauline Corpus- A Cherished Place at the Center of His Plans (with Mark McLaughlin)